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3 Things to Consider BEFORE Looking at Wedding Dresses
Your wedding dress
will very likely be the pricest piece of clothing you will ever wear,
and your wedding day will be the single most important day of your
life, so you want to make sure you get this decision right in order
to avoid regrets after the big day has come and gone.
To make the best
decision possible when looking at wedding dresses, there are three
main considerations you need to take into account:
Style of Wedding
Your wedding dress
should be approrpiate for the style and formality of wedding you are
having. Would you describe your wedding as traditional or
contemporary? Formal, semi-formal, or casual (informal)? Whatever the
case may be, your wedding dress will need to be a suitable match. The
more formal the wedding, the more formal your wedding dress should
be. If you dont match the style and formality of your wedding dress
to the style and formality of your wedding, the result will typically
look poorly planned and lacking consideration - sort of "hodge
podge". You want a consistent look throughout your wedding,
where everything looks perfectly sewn together and very consistent.
This is what gives a wedding that perfect "polish".
How Soon Is the Wedding?
How far away is
your wedding? Keep in mind that wedding dresses often take about 6
months to be delivered from the date you place your order. Fittings
and alterations can sometimes add another 8 weeks to the timeline.
Always build in a buffer zone on top of that in case things go wrong
- and be preprared because things do go wrong! You need to
have time to deal with any flaws or imperfections, errors with your
shipment, fitting problems, etc. which may arise. So take this into
consideration as you look for your dress. If your wedding date is
drawing near, you may not be able to keep looking and looking and
looking, rather, it may be time to get serious about making a
selection and placing your order. Remember that your wedding dress
may not be ready to wear the day it is delivered. It will require
fittings and probably alterations. This can take some time,
especially if you are encountering fit problems once the dress is
delivered. Many brides don't consider these things ahead of time and
therefore find themselves dealing with very stressful situations as
the wedding approaches. Don't let yourself fall into that same scenerio.
What Time of
Year Will The Wedding Take Place?
The wedding dress
you choose should also be appropriate for the time of year the
wedding takes place at. The fabrics and style should be suitable for
the season. Heavy fabrics will be uncomfotable in the heat of the
summer (don't understimate the importance of comfort on your wedding
day!) and may also look out of place.
How Much Can
You Realistically Afford to Spend on Your Wedding Dress?
Wedding dresses
for the typical bride can range in price from as little as $99 (if
you are a savvy shopper) to as much as $5000. The average bride to
day spends over $1000. And of course, if money is no object, there
are couture dresses that could set you back tens of thousands of dollars.
Before you start
looking at wedding dresses, figure out how much you can afford to
spend on your dress. You should have a budget set for your entire
wedding to avoid overspending in general. Decide how much of that
budget you are allocating for your wedding dress. Keep in mind that
in order to keep ypour budget under control and avoid financial
headaches, if you overspend on your wedding dress you will need to
cut back on something else to make up for the overage.
If you know that a
particular designer or bridal boutique has a reputation for being
spendy, and if you know you simply dont have that type of budget,
stay away! There's no point in even looking if its not something you
can afford. The last thing you need right now is to fall in love with
a dress that you simply can not have. It's a sure recipe for misery.
Be warned, its
easy to get emotionally attached to a wedding dress once you lay eyes
on the one you feel is perfect for you. So what happens if you
fall in love with a wedding dress that you simply can't afford?
Instead of ordering it from the manufacturer or designer, consider
getting it custom made through a local seamstress or designer. This
can often save you 50% off the price. If you choose a well
experienced seamstress or designer they can often create a gown which
is virtually identical to the one you fell in love with. The key here
is to look for someone with experience in designing and sewing bridal
wear specifically. Ask for a minimum of three references of previous
bridal wear clients, and call those references to ensure they were
satisfied. Look for someone who's been around for a good while, and
ask to see photos of the dresses they've created. Don't hire a
seamstress until you feel completely comfortable that she can handle
the job. And never pay for the dress up front - you should only have
to put down a deposit and then make progress payments along the way
as the work progresses.
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